Air Fryer Broccoli Recipe EASY CRSPY HEALTHY | Best Recipe Box (2024)

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by Diane

This air fryer broccoli recipe is quick, easy and healthy. You’re going to love making this several times a week! Air fried broccoli is definitely one of our most popular recipes.

Air Fryer Broccoli Recipe EASY CRSPY HEALTHY | Best Recipe Box (2)

Easy Air Fryer Broccoli Recipe

We can eat crispy broccoli in the air fryer every day. The air fried broccoli always has a wonderful crispy texture and the flavor is outstanding! If you don’t like it crispy, you can definitely cook it for less time. Add extra garlic powder before cooking if you love extra garlic broccoli flavor. And squeeze a little bit of lemon before you eat and the bright lemon flavors are so good! Best of all, this crispy air fryer broccoli recipe will be a favorite for kids. It’s a great way to get them to eat their vegetables!

Video: Best Air Fryer Broccoli Recipe

How to Cook Broccoli in Air Fryer

  • Use fresh broccoli florets. They will taste so much better!
  • Toss broccoli with a little oil, salt and pepper. Or add your personal favorite spice or seasoning blend.
  • After first toss/shake you’ll see the broccoli crisp a little.If needed, toss and shake a second time to get everything cooked crisp.
  • The more you shake/toss the broccoli during cooking, the more even they will cook.
  • All recipe details are in the recipe box below.

Can you Air Fry Frozen Broccoli?

Yes, you can but it’ll definitely be mushy if you don’t cook it hot and fast. The hot and quick method will make the broccoli little more crispy and less mushy. We recommend air frying frozen broccoli at about 400F for about 5 minutes. Check the broccoli and add addition 1-2 minutes of air frying OR until it’s cooked to your desired texture. Also, different brands of frozen broccoli are not all the same sizes. That’s why you should check after the first 5 minutes of air frying to make sure it isn’t burnt or if you should add additional time.

Tips for More Flavor and Serving Air Fried Broccoli

If you want extra flavor, the possibilities are endless. Raid your spice pantry and experiment with different spices on the broccoli.

  • We love making an Indian inspired broccoli with ground cumin.
  • Or make a spicy version with some chipotle!
  • Cheese is always a hit too, so adding your favorite cheese like cheddar or parmesan will never be boring!
  • Serve the broccoli with a side of steak or anytime you need a quick vegetable side dish.
  • We love making a big batch of this (cooked in several batches) and everyone goes crazy over the flavor. The hot air really gives this air fried broccoli and nice char and maximum flavor.
  • Make a big batch for the week. Store in an air tight container and warm up on the stove or in the microwave when you’re ready to serve.

What are the Best Air Fryers for this air fryer broccoli ?

There’s so many on the market now. You just need to research and find the ones that fits your needs, capacity and style. We group the basket style air fryers into 2 main size groups: 3-4 qt range & the 5-6 qt. range. Here’s our favorites:

Air Fryer Broccoli Recipe EASY CRSPY HEALTHY | Best Recipe Box (3)
Cosori 3.7 qt. Digital Air Fryer – “That’s a stylish Air Fryer” was said as we unboxed the Cosori. Beyond being stylish, it has cooked great. The basket is not as tall and wider than most in its size group, which is perfect. You’ll have a lot better results in an air fryer with single layered, spread out foods, then with ones piled high and thick.
The non-stick basket style (non-wire base) & smoothness of the basket tray is also great for clean up.

Air Fryer Broccoli Recipe EASY CRSPY HEALTHY | Best Recipe Box (4)
Ninja 4 qt. Digital Air Fryer – Has a great ceramic coated basket, one of the longest lasting we’ve used. Super powerful fan that will often cook recipes even faster than other air fryers. We initially returned our first one because we thought we wouldn’t like the basket style. After reconsidering, we bought another and are super glad we did. We love it’s basket and just a platform insert. One less bulky thing to wash. This is a great air fryer.

Good Larger Air Fryers

Air Fryer Broccoli Recipe EASY CRSPY HEALTHY | Best Recipe Box (5)Tiluxury 5.8 qt. Digital Air Fryer – It’s a good larger air fryer capable of cooking for larger families, especially when you need to cook more food. It’s great for cooking bigger batches (ie 4 salmon fillets instead of 2 or 2 lbs of fries instead of 1).
We like that this Tiluxury 5.8 qt has the non-stick basket (non-wire base). Makes for less sticking for delicate meals (ie baked fish fillets). And we like the digital interface (easier cleaning).

Air Fryer Broccoli Recipe EASY CRSPY HEALTHY | Best Recipe Box (6)Gourmia 6 qt. Digital Air Fryer – This is quickly becoming one of our favorite larger basket style air fryers. Great basket size, good controls, cooks nice. Clean up is great. It has become one of our kitchen favorites. We’ll often find it as Costco at a great price too!

Air Fryer Broccoli Recipe EASY CRSPY HEALTHY | Best Recipe Box (7)

Air Fryer Crispy Broccoli

The broccoli will cook down and shrink, so if it the basket feels full at first, there will be half the amount after it shrinks. Cooking time will vary depending on the size of your broccoli and the power of your air fryer. After your first batch, you'll know the best timing for your preferred texture.

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Ingredients

  • 1 pound (454 g) fresh broccoli , cut into bite sized pieces
  • 2 tablespoons (30 ml) oil (approximately)
  • 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) garlic powder
  • salt , to taste
  • Fresh cracked black pepper , to taste
  • Fresh lemon wedges

Equipment

Instructions

  • Add broccoli to large bowl and drizzle evenly with olive oil. Season broccoli with garlic powder, salt and pepper.

  • Add broccoli to air fryer basket/tray in an even layer.

  • Air Fry 380°F for 12-15 minutes, flipping and shaking 3 times through cooking. Or cook until crispy. More flipping/shaking will allow broccoli to cook more evenly. Serve with lemon wedges.

Video

Air Fryer Broccoli Recipe EASY CRSPY HEALTHY | Best Recipe Box (11)

Nutrition Information per Serving

Calories: 101kcal, Carbohydrates: 7g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 37mg, Potassium: 358mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 705IU, Vitamin C: 101.1mg, Calcium: 53mg, Iron: 0.8mg

Course: Side Dish, Vegetables

Cuisine: American

Calories: 101

Hope you enjoy our air fryer broccoli recipe.Here’s more great broccoli recipes for your family to enjoy:

  • Microwave Cheesy Broccoli
  • Roasted broccoli salad with bacon
  • Easy beef and broccoli stir fry is better than take out!
  • Click Here for —-> Our Best Air Fryer Recipes
  • This recipe was originally published in 2018.

As an Amazon associate and partners with other affiliate programs, we may earn from your qualifying purchases. We may earn small commissions that goes towards all the costs of running this website and recipe tests. Thank you for your support.

posted in: 30 Minute Recipes, Air Fryer, Gluten Free, Healthy, Paleo, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian 15 comments

Air Fryer Broccoli Recipe EASY CRSPY HEALTHY | Best Recipe Box (12)

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Leave a Reply

    15 Comments on “Air Fryer Crispy Broccoli”

  1. Rick Reply

    Air Fryer Broccoli Recipe EASY CRSPY HEALTHY | Best Recipe Box (15)
    This got my kids to finally eat broccoli. Thanks for the suggestion 🙂

  2. Mandy Reply

    Air Fryer Broccoli Recipe EASY CRSPY HEALTHY | Best Recipe Box (16)
    I was just about the buy an air fryer this weekend! This was SO helpful. Thanks a bunch!

  3. Melissa Reply

    Air Fryer Broccoli Recipe EASY CRSPY HEALTHY | Best Recipe Box (17)
    I love discovering new ways to cook/eat broccoli. This one is exceptional. Glad I don’t have to use a lot of oil to get great tasting broccoli.

  4. Rachel Reply

    Air Fryer Broccoli Recipe EASY CRSPY HEALTHY | Best Recipe Box (18)
    Thanks for the suggestion! Never thought cooking broccoli would be so easy!

  5. B. Wyant Reply

    Air Fryer Broccoli Recipe EASY CRSPY HEALTHY | Best Recipe Box (19)
    I will never cook broccoli any other way. Fabulous!

    • Best Recipe Box Reply

      Agree! It texture and flavor is amazing.

  6. Tye Reply

    Air Fryer Broccoli Recipe EASY CRSPY HEALTHY | Best Recipe Box (20)
    This recipe leaves the broccoli crispy and tasty! Definitely a keeper.

  7. Barbara A OToole Reply

    I followed instructions to a tee, however, my broccoli was NOT crispy! What could I have done wrong?

    Thank you.

    • Best Recipe Box Reply

      Hi Barbara, perhaps you cut them bigger and they just needed more time. Or you can cook them a little hotter at a higher temp next time. Every air fryer cooks a little differently. Let know if you make any changes and what your results are! Thank you.

  8. Willene Reply

    Can you use thawed frozen broccoli in this recipe?

    • Best Recipe Box Reply

      Hi Willene, Yes you can but you’ll have to cook it just a little longer. There’s still lots of moisture in thawed broccoli. But if you like broccoli soft rather than crispy, then thawed broccoli is perfect!

  9. Jake Stryker Reply

    Maybe our air fryer is more powerful than most. The time and temp that is recommended left me with broccoli that was a little burned.

  10. Amber Reply

    Air Fryer Broccoli Recipe EASY CRSPY HEALTHY | Best Recipe Box (21)
    I’m in love with the way you seasoned the broccoli. The air fryer cooked it nice and crispy. Love it.

  11. Naomi Reply

    Air Fryer Broccoli Recipe EASY CRSPY HEALTHY | Best Recipe Box (22)
    This was great for Thanksgiving as it saved so much time. I’m doing this method again for Christmas.

  12. Lori Reply

    It is so Yummy! Cooked 8-10 and was a perfect crunch.

Air Fryer Broccoli Recipe EASY CRSPY HEALTHY | Best Recipe Box (2024)

FAQs

How do you cook broccoli so it stays crunchy? ›

To avoid soggy broccolis try steaming it for 2 minutes and check the texture, if required cook for a minute more but not more than that. After this, you put the boiled broccoli into ice water, the constant shock will make them crispy.

How to make crispy in air fryer? ›

A drizzle or a quick oil spray is all you need for restaurant-quality fries and golden brown fried chicken, while other foods don't need any oil, like pizza or leftovers you might reheat. Some advocate for spraying the drawer or rack inside the air fryer, and while it doesn't hurt, it's unnecessary.

Why does my broccoli always burn in the air fryer? ›

Always cook broccoli in a single, even layer inside the air fryer basket; cook in batches, if needed. If broccoli is over-crowded, it won't roast evenly. Add just a bit (one tablespoon) of water to the bottom of the air fryer; this helps keep air fryer broccoli tender and prevents burning.

How to cook broccoli healthiest? ›

Blanching is a quick dip in boiling water, followed immediately by cooling. You can also preserve both nutrients and the enzyme needed to form protective isothiocyanates if you steam broccoli for three or four minutes (just until crisp-tender) or microwave for less than one minute.

How do restaurants make broccoli taste so good? ›

How do restaurants make broccoli taste so good? As with everything made by chefs, they have unexpected (read: unhealthy) additions to their meals — mostly butter, oil and heaps of salt. An excellent tip for the perfect broccoli is the blanching step.

How do you make broccoli soft but not mushy? ›

Cut broccoli into florets and rinse with cold water. Place in an Anyday dish and cover with the lid (knob lifted). Cook in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, or until broccoli is vibrant green and tender, but not mushy.

Why are my vegetables not crispy from the air fryer? ›

Don't overcrowd your insert, or else the air fried veggies will turn out mushy. Go light on the oil. Too much, and the vegetables will become oversaturated and not crisp up.

Why are things not getting crispy in air fryer? ›

Dry the outside of the food properly before you add oil. Do not use too much oil, as this will make the food less crispy and more fattening. Meat or poultry can be lightly brushed with oil or marinated to get the crispiest results.

Does air frying broccoli make it unhealthy? ›

An air fryer is a healthier option than deep frying foods and can be an inventive way to fry not only meats and potatoes but other nutritious foods such as broccoli, yams, tofu, or eggs. Compared with deep-frying, using an air fryer can reduce the amount of fat, calories, and potentially harmful compounds in your food.

What to season your broccoli with? ›

Broccoli: Use fresh broccoli for best results, but you can also use frozen broccoli. I recommend decreasing the cooking time by 30 to 60 seconds if using frozen broccoli. Seasonings: These could include melted butter, extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice and/or zest, salt, pepper, garlic, or shredded cheese.

Does air frying broccoli make it less healthy? ›

Plus unlike Roasted Broccoli, you don't need to wait for the oven to preheat. Healthy. This mega crisping power makes the air fryer an excellent way to create healthy versions of deep-fried favorites, Air Fryer French Fries and Air Fryer Potato Chips being primo examples.

Is it healthier to boil or bake broccoli? ›

In conclusion, the current study clearly shows that nutrient and health-promoting compounds in broccoli are significantly affected by domestic cooking. All cooking treatments, except steaming, caused great losses of chlorophyll and vitamin C. Only boiling and stir-frying/boiling caused the loss of total carotenoids.

What are the two appropriate methods of cooking broccoli? ›

Broccoli can be eaten raw, but blanching it quickly in boiling water helps give it a more crisp-tender texture and bring out its flavor. Broccoli can also be steamed, sautéed, and roasted. You could even throw long spears on the grill!

What part of the broccoli is the healthiest? ›

The leaves and stems of broccoli are very nutritious, but the florets have an even higher concentration of nutrients and phytochemicals. Raw broccoli has more vitamin C than cooked, but cooked broccoli makes the carotenoids more available to the body. So enjoy broccoli cooked or raw¬ just be sure to eat it often.

How long to steam broccoli to keep it crisp? ›

Add the broccoli florets to a steamer basket, and place it in a saucepan filled with 1 inch of water. Bring the water to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cover the pan. Let steam for 5 minutes, or until the broccoli is crisp-tender and bright green. Season with salt, pepper, olive oil, and lemon juice to taste.

Why is my broccoli soft after cooking? ›

The more you cook broccoli, the softer it gets. Eventually, it'll be like mush (i.e. baby food), if you overcook it. You do know you can eat broccoli raw, right. Most people give it a quick stir fry or blanch it briefly, which results in a somewhat harder texture when being served.

Is it better to steam or boil your broccoli? ›

Stir-frying and stir-frying/boiling, the two most popular methods for most homemade dishes in China, cause great losses of chlorophyll, soluble protein, soluble sugar, vitamin C, and glucosinolates, but the steaming method appears the best in retention of the nutrients in cooking broccoli.

Does broccoli get softer the longer you cook it? ›

Broccoli should be tender and crisp. The florets only need to boil for a couple of minutes. Depending on the size of the florets, you may need to boil them a bit longer. It depends on personal taste, but florets shouldn't be cooked longer than 3 minutes to remain crisp and tender.

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